Property

Lovely home goes on sale for £230k… with Jimmy Savile and Margaret Thatcher tributes in the basement

Well that was a surprise.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 27th July 2023

A home has gone on the market this week that ticks a lot of boxes. Three bedrooms, a rooftop garden, rural views, off-road parking, original features – all ticked.

But did you also have a hankering for a shrine to Jimmy Savile on your house-hunting wishlist? Because it’s got that too.

All is not quite as it first seems with this cottage, listed at £230k, The Hoot reports.

The home in Queensbury in Bradford has loads of original features, like an Inglenook fireplace, wooden ceiling beams, and exposed stonework details. 

The views are incredible too, with huge windows in the lounge and the master bedroom looking out over the surrounding countryside. 

ADVERTISEMENT

There’s also a rooftop garden with a seating area, parking for several cars, and an actual bar in the basement. 

But eagle-eyed house hunters have noticed an unusual detail in the basement of the cottage. It’s an homage to a few unexpected celebrities. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Down here in the basement, where there are several pub-style tables and chairs bunched together, and a dart board, and you’re watched over by a cardboard cut-out of newsreader Fiona Bruce. 

Inside the basement of the cottage for sale

And that’s far from the weirdest celeb spot down here. 

You’ll also notice there appears to be a framed photo of notorious serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, aka the Yorkshire Ripper. What a nice, wholesome character to immortalise in your pub…

ADVERTISEMENT

Former PM Margaret Thatcher is in pride of place above the fireplace, and there seems to be a copy of Jimmy Savile’s book on display on the mantelpiece. 

The photos of the basement have been taken down from the Rightmove listing after the below tweet, which asked: ‘Wouldn’t you take down your framed pictures of Margaret Thatcher, Peter Sutcliffe and Fiona Bruce down for the photos??’, went a bit viral. 

In response, one person wrote: “part of me thinks this is a brilliant marketing move… I’m looking to move house, and the price point and rural setting is great. Wouldn’t have even considered Bradford ’til I saw this….”

Another person pointed out: “I really hope the seller has done this because he knows Twitter will spread the advert far and wide.”

Someone else fairly observed: “Amazes me how people give a monkey’s about anything other than the structure and layout of a house they’re buying.  Nothing else matters, you can paint it, fit a new bathroom etc.”

ADVERTISEMENT

And also remove the shrine to the convicted criminals…

Read more

Featured image: Rightmove

Property

Law requiring landlords to repair hazards within 24 hours comes into effect

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Awaab Ishak

Landlords will now have 24 hours to repair hazards reported to them as a new law comes into effect across England.

The law taking effect today comes after a ‘landmark’ new social housing bill – which was given the Royal Ascent to become law in July 2023 – was proposed and approved in early January last year.

‘Awaab’s Law’ is named after Greater Manchester toddler Awaab Ishak, who tragically died in 2020 as a result of prolonged exposure to mould in his Rochdale home, a coroner ruled back in 2022, and following his death, the Government had been pledging to deliver the new reforms.

But today (Monday 27 October), the first part of the law finally comes into effect.

This means that all social landlords – generally the local council, or a housing association – will from now be required to repair any hazards which are reported to them within 24 hours.

Landlords must also investigate ‘significant’ damp and mould within 10 working days of being notified, and then make properties safe in five working days.

For both types of hazards, they must also write the findings to tenants within three working days of inspection.   

On top of that, as part of the reforms, landlords now must also consider the circumstances of tenants which could put them at risk – including young children and those with disabilities or health conditions – and alternative accommodation must also be offered if homes cannot be made safe within the required timeframes.

Awaab’s Law is being called a ‘lasting legacy’ to the two-year-old.

“Everyone deserves a safe and decent home to live in and Awaab Ishak is a powerful reminder of how this can sadly be a matter of life or death,” commented Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, as Awaab’s Law comes into effect today.   

“Awaab’s family has fought hard for change and their work to protect millions of tenants’ lives will live on as a legacy to their son.  

Read more:

“Our changes will give tenants a stronger voice and force landlords to act urgently when lives are at risk, ensuring such tragedies are never repeated.”

More of Awaab’s Law will be phased in both next year and in 2027 to make homes safer from more hazards, the Government has confirmed.

Featured Image – GMP / Family Handout

Property

Behind the doors of the eclectic £1.75m Victorian villa that’s BACK on the market in a leafy Manchester suburb

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Fancy a look inside an eclectic Victorian villa that’s now BACK on the market in a sought-after Manchester suburb?

The only thing is, you’ll need the small matter of £1.75 million before you can call it yours.

Of course, it goes without saying that the vast majority of people reading this article won’t have £1.95 million just sitting in their bank accounts right now, but if like us, you’ve got no shame in admitting you love looking at houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute stunner.

Take a look behind the grand front door of one of the finest properties the Manchester housing market has to offer at the moment.

This eclectic Victorian villa is on the market in a leafy Manchester suburb for £1.95m / Credit: Inigo (via Rightmove)

This stunning detached villa is situated on a prime residential street in Whalley Range, which is one of south Manchester’s affluent suburbs, known and loved for its wide range of amenities, good local schools, public transport links across Greater Manchester, and green spaces such as the popular Alexandra Park.

Built in 1885, the house sits among a number of grand Victorian villas built around Alexandra Park to serve the wealthy merchants and bankers looking to escape the smog of city centre.

Spanning some 3,854 sq ft, the main house has seven bedrooms and ample living space arranged across four floors, all of which estate agents describe as being “impeccably designed”, while at its rear is a recently-renovated annexe, and a landscaped garden with an established kitchen garden.

While still being steeped in history, the house has undergone an extensive restoration programme over the past decade by its current owner.

The property has undergone extensive restorations over the last decade / Credit: Inigo (via Rightmove)

Decorated to the highest of standards across all four floors, the current owner has managed to respect the Victorian sensibilities of the building, while still introducing a rich colour and material palette.

You enter the historic villa through the arched entry of the original porch, with all of the rooms and staircases situated off the grand hallway.

Some of the property’s stand-out features have to be the array of original fireplaces and bay windows, ornate ceilings, and decorative tiled floors, as well as the accommodations themselves, of course, which include a bespoke kitchen-diner, and seven spacious bedrooms, many with en-suite bathrooms and even one with a purpose-built walk-in-wardrobe.

If all of that wasn’t impressive enough as it is, the property also boasts its very-own retro cinema room and treatment space on the lower ground floor too.

Then, through a Victorian garden wall is where you’ll find the coach house, which sits separate from the main house, and has recently been built as a standalone guest space – with a kitchen, shower room, and mezzanine sleeping area above.

The property’s excellence only continues when you step outside into the garden / Credit: Inigo (via Rightmove)

The property’s excellence only continues when you step outside into the garden.

The garden has been landscaped to make the most of its large corner plot, with a decked area that unfolds from the sunroom and leads down to a lawn that’s bordered by clipped privacy hedging.

The star of the show, however, has to be the kitchen garden, which the current owner has implemented in raised beds, partly shaded by established climbing grape vines which you’ll find are full of fruit in the summer.

Like what you see? Well thankfully, the property is now BACK on the market, and for cheaper too.

Read more:

This property on Alexandra Road South is currently on the market with Tyldsley-based independent estate agents, Jamie Burke – powered by eX – for a Guide Price of a whopping £1.75 million, and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the property company to arrange a viewing.

Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a nosy at the Rightmove link here.

Featured image – Inigo

More Property

L&Q at Victoria Riverside in Redbank

Manchester

Major up-and-coming Manchester neighbourhood to debut Shared Ownership apartments

New social club and games bar coming to Manchester

Business

A massive bowling, games and entertainment bar is coming to Manchester next year

An incredible boat house right on the water’s edge in the Lake District has gone up for sale - for a whopping £2.25m

Property

An incredible boat house right on the water’s edge in the Lake District has gone up for sale – for a whopping £2.25m

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches